Arab Media Freedom Monitor has issued its monthly report, in which it documented 45 violations of media freedom in Egypt last April. The violations included 13 blocking websites, 13 violations by prosecutions and courts, nine arbitrary administrative decisions, 5 cases of imprisonment and temporary detention, 4 cases of violations in prisons, and 2 cases of censorship.

According to the organisation, the total number of journalists imprisoned has reached 66.

The report emphasised that the Egyptian authorities continued to suppress press freedom. Despite the issuance of a presidential pardon that included the release of 7 journalists, the month witnessed the pursuit and imprisonment of several journalists, the blocking of more websites, and the suspension of 8 Maspero employees from work. In addition, there were violations committed by prison administrations, such as deliberate medical negligence against several journalists. Security forces also arrested three people for posting satirical content on TikTok.

The organisation documented the continuation of the prosecution of Ayman Mansour Nada, head of the Radio and Television Department at the Faculty of Information at Cairo University. They had published a series of articles dealing with the Egyptian authorities’ control of the media. Nada was imprisoned for three months last year before being released due to his health conditions. It also documented that the governor of Dakahlia continued to prosecute several correspondents, despite obtaining acquittal rulings in several cases he filed against them.

YouTuber Ali Hussein Mahdi, a dissident, based in the United States, recently announced that the police had arrested his father to force him to stop criticising the regime.